The remarkably short two-day Test match has polarized the cricket community

As Australia struggled to chase a small target of 35 runs, remarkable only on the second day of the first Test, injured South African captain Dean Elgar asked the umpire if it was safe to continue playing on the green Gabba surface, which proved to be a minefield. shook the batters.

As South Africa slipped to a series-opening defeat, with their fragile batting order offering little opposition in both innings, cynics felt it was sour grapes for Elgar, but he insisted the pitch was dangerous and skewed too much in favor of the bowlers. both teams have firepower.

I said, “How long until it’s potentially dangerous?” I know the game was dead and buried. There was never any attempt to change (the score) or stop the game, Elgar said.

“You have to ask yourself: Is this a good ad for our format? Thirty-four spots in two days. I’d say a pretty one-sided case.

Elgar’s question, perhaps intended as a rhetorical one, is an interesting one, and has received a polarizing response. To be clear, the pitch turned too far for the bowlers and seemed to be harder to hit unlike in the Brisbane matches where the usual sunny weather flattens the surface.

But Cloudy conditions and a spookier pitch meant that a Test ended within two days for the first time in Australia in 90 years. The pitch is a bit too juicy…you just need some luck on the runs. I have to say that this pitch gets a below average rating. You want a contest between bat and ball and this was not a contest, said former Australian batsman-turned-pundit Mark Waugh, who echoed the widespread sentiment.

But the backlash has perhaps been too harsh and could be put down as a freak incident – like the Sydney Thunder who were dismissed for an extraordinary 15 in the Big Bash League.

In some ways, it was quite refreshing to see the bat dominating the ball and the pace of the match, which can be rare in Australian Test matches. Too often there have been one-sided tests that drag on and on for five days, only to feel almost pointless because of the predictability. Simply put, they can seem endless.

The recent Australia-West Indies Test in Perth was a case in point, where there was talk of a fast and furious pitch only for the curator to get scared and cut the grass cover on the day of the match, resulting in a calm session. The match went deep into the fifth day, but an Australian victory was always inevitable.

At least the Brisbane Test was over quickly, and for two compelling days, it was packed with action where it was hard to keep your eyes off the revolving door.

As long as this doesn’t become the norm, the oddity of such an abbreviated match must be taken into account and a reminder that Test cricket can conjure up different rhythms depending on the circumstances and the participants.

It was a contrast to England’s recent seven-run-over-score in Pakistan on flat pitches alongside Test cricket.

Australia’s curators have been criticized in recent years for a dull tone and have probably tried too hard to liven it up, with uneven results. But that’s okay.

Rather than praising them, they should be praised for trying to make matches more interesting, as evidenced by the first Test at the Gabba, which will never be forgotten.

For better or worse.